Educational Science

What a Mammogram Could Do for You: Study Lays Out Risk & Benefits

To maximize the benefits and lower the risks of routine mammograms for breast cancer screening, it's best to base decisions on each woman's individual risk level, as well as her values and priorities, researchers concluded after reviewing 50 years of studies on mammograms. Recommendations about who should get mammograms and...

Mammograms Do Not Reduce Breast Cancer Deaths, Study Finds

Yearly mammograms in middle-age women do not reduce breast cancer deaths — these tests are essentially as good as physical examination alone, according to a new 25-year study from Canada. The study, which included nearly 90,000 women ages 40 to 59, is the latest to question the value of routine...

Women who are recovering from breast cancer treatment may have even more reasons to sign up for a yoga class, with a new study suggesting the practice can lessen cancer-related fatigue and reduce inflammation in the body. It's the first exercise trial in breast cancer survivors to show reductions in...

Breast Cancer Blood Tests Available, But Not Proven

Detecting breast cancer with just a blood sample is the goal of several new tests hitting the market, but experts say it's too early to tell whether using such tests could make a difference in terms of patients' treatment and survival. One new test, called ClearID Breast Cancer, is marketed...

Exercise Beats Diet in Reducing Breast Cancer Risk

CHICAGO — Women who lose weight by exercising and eating better may reduce their risk of breast cancer more than women who lose the same amount of weight through diet alone, according to a new study of postmenopausal women. Both exercising and eating better are thought to reduce women's risk...

Parkinson's Drug Shows Promise in Preventing Breast Cancer

Women with mutations in the BRCA1 gene are at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer, and there are currently no drugs proven to reduce their cancer risk. Now, early research suggests that existing drugs, already approved to treat other conditions, may help prevent breast cancer in these women, although...

After Surviving Breast Cancer, Yoga May Be Recovery Key (Op-Ed)

Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, a professor of psychiatry and psychology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center contributed this article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Breast cancer survivors have a lot to think about when it comes to their recovery. There are often suggestions from doctors on what kind...

Why a Recent Mammography Study is Deeply Flawed (Op-Ed)

Dr. Mitva Patel is a breast radiologist at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. She contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Women questioning the value of screening mammography based on a recent study published in BMJ (formerly British Medical Journal) should pause and look...

Breast Cancer Prevention Drugs Recommended for High-Risk Women

Women at high risk of developing breast cancer may benefit from taking medications that reduce the risk of the disease, but average-risk women should not take the drugs, according to new recommendations from a government-appointed panel of experts. The recommendations, made by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, apply to...

More Moles, Higher Breast Cancer Risk, Studies Say

The number of moles on a woman's skin may offer some clues to her risk of breast cancer, two new studies say. Both studies, which were large and lasted at least 15 years, found that women with more moles were more likely to develop breast cancer compared with women who...